


Amatori Unit

by Sylindara



Category: World Trigger
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, quite a few small details are now jossed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 14:05:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3252563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylindara/pseuds/Sylindara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where Osamu took up the offer to become an operator and dragged Chika into joining Border, Amatori Unit floundered at the bottom of the B-rank units until the new transfer student, Kuga Yuuma, entered their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Conception

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:**
> 
> The AU where Osamu took the officer's suggestion and became an operator instead of a Border agent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks to jcminwell for being willing to look over this fic for me. Any mistakes are, of course, my own. I did take some liberties and gave operators trion bodies as well; who knows how Ashihara is going to deal with operators in canon.

Bits of wreckage stirred up under their feet as the bullies led Osamu and Kuga into the Hazard Zone; they crowded irritatingly around Osamu, though they at least had the survival instincts to keep a wide berth from Kuga – even if it may not look like they had any. Trickles of sweat slid down Osamu’s skin as he prayed desperately that no gates open up while they were here. His hand went up instinctively, trying to finger unobtrusively at the small bud he had shoved in his ear the moment they got near the Zone; they were going to need backup.

In front of him, Kuga had yet to stop stirring up the bullies. Osamu would worry about his survival instincts too, except Osamu’s own instincts warned him that Kuga had nothing to fear. But then, Osamu’s instincts hadn’t stopped warning him about Kuga all day. Osamu knew he was a worrywart; that was why he was here. Kuga was the kind of person you couldn’t help but worry over.

Those instincts started clamouring even louder at Kuga’s reaction to the Bamster. He didn’t look surprised to see one at all; in fact, he looked positively inured to it. But Osamu had no time to worry about him. The bullies were running in exactly the wrong direction.

“This way,” Osamu shouted, waving his arms widely. He didn’t know if he was trying to catch the attention of the Bamster or the bullies, but any of them heading his way would be good. “Over here!”

“We should take the chance while it’s distracted to run away,” Kuga said easily, as if he wasn’t talking about people’s lives.

Osamu gave him a look, then started running after the Bamster. “I can’t do that.” The bully whose foot Kuga broke was on the ground, right in the trion soldier’s path.

Kuga was shouting behind him and Osamu would actually enjoy this crack in Kuga’s composure, this sign that Kuga was human after all, except he was too busy trying to be a distraction. He needed to buy them more time. “Because I think this is what I have to do, Kuga. You get out of here before it comes after you! Trigger on!”

As an operator, he had no weapon; the Bamster barely noticed him even with a trion body. But he couldn’t give up. The Bamster didn’t even drop the bully it had clamped down on as it used its head to fling Osamu into the side of a building. The bully was halfway inside its mouth when the shot finally came. A blazing streak of light that sliced a furrow in the Bamster’s hard shell even though it barely winged it. The bully fell to the ground and was hustled away by his cronies. Osamu concentrated on what was more important: the angle of the shot was all wrong.

“I’ll be in position soon,” Chika cried, panicked, in his ear. She wasn’t going to make it. Osamu ached with the awareness of his own inadequacy as the Bamster loomed over him. He should be behind a computer screen, flushing out Chika’s snipe routes for her; otherwise what was the point of making that decision? Why was he still so useless? Even though he had made that vow, to support Chika and give his everything to her. In the end he was nothing more than this.

There was a rush of sound from behind him, a familiar yet unbelievable sound; there were no other Border agents around. Osamu was just starting to turn when a blur passed the edge of his vision. The black blur slammed into the Bamster and resolved itself into Kuga. Kuga in a black uniform that looked nothing like Border’s, using a trigger that did not belong to Border.

Osamu wasn’t even surprised to find out that Kuga was from the other side. It made too much sense. What worried him more was Chika’s ominous silence on the other side of the line. He understood her reticence. But Kuga could have left like he said. He didn’t need to get involved, but he saved them anyway. That mattered.

* * *

Miwa looked at the new crater where the Bamster’s corpse lied. It looked like something Amou would do. Just a little more contained. Beside him, Yoneya whistled in admiration. “Is this really the work of a B-rank unit?”

“B-rank Amatori Unit is what it says in the records,” Tsukimi said. “They’ve put themselves down as being the ones responsible.”

“But even for Amatori, it doesn’t look like a sniper did it,” Kodera pointed out, confused.

“Didn’t Amatori smash a hole right through HQ’s wall with an Ibis?” Yoneya said casually. “As expected of the trion monster.”

“Still,” Kodera said stubbornly, not letting it go.

“It’s not a sniper rifle’s shot,” Narasaka agreed.

Miwa grunted. His instincts told him the same. So did his experience. “Ren-san, can you give us all you have on this incident? Including Amatori Unit’s report.”

“Understood,” Tsukimi said calmly. “But you should give them a little time to write those reports; it’s only been 10 minutes since the incident. I’ll put it on record that Miwa Unit will take care of the aftermath, shall I? Amatori Unit is still a bit new for B-rank, we can take care of this faster and it’ll be easier for us to investigate too.”

“We’re counting on you,” Miwa said. Something told him not to trust this. He was beginning to think he shouldn’t trust Amatori Unit either.

* * *

The three of them reconvened in the park, a mix of takeout bags their meal for the night. Osamu recounted what he’d found out in his visit to Border, about how Miwa Unit had shown up later at the scene to handle clean-up. As long as no one investigated too fully, Kuga’s existence should still be unknown to Border, especially with the report Chika wrote.

On their part, Chika and Kuga talked about the overabundance of low level crooks that flooded Mikado City’s streets. Osamu, having missed the first incident but caught the second, couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He grew up right on the edges of Mikado, next to Hasunobe, he still remembered vividly a time when Mikado City wasn’t like this. The first invasion changed a lot of things.

Osamu sucked on the remains of his fast-food drink, still marvelling at the fact that they just had dinner with a _Neighbour_. In contrast, Chika was sitting comfortably next to Kuga as he spun a story about Chika’s gallantry in dealing with the first group of crooks after Kuga had broken his leg – Kuga apparently had a thing about breaking legs. She looked practically happy as she added small corrections to the story; Osamu couldn’t help but wonder what had changed.

“Yuuma-kun isn’t like the other Neighbours,” Chika said with a smile, as if she noticed Osamu’s confusion. “He doesn’t want to kidnap people. And he cares about the law!”

Kuga said steadily, “If I am going to stay here, then I need to know what the rules are.”

“To find your dad’s acquaintance in Border?” Osamu asked, sharing a glance with Chika.

“Why do you think your dad told you to come here?” Chika asked tentatively.

The look Kuga levelled them is shrewd, but he answered readily, “He said this was his hometown. That Border is an organisation that acts as bridge between here and the Neighbourhood. So I should come here after he dies. But from your attitude, I’m guessing it’s not a good idea?”

“Maybe Old Border was that kind of organisation,” Osamu said quietly, “but not this one. Right now, the strongest faction within Border is Commander Kido’s. And their goal is to exterminate all Neighbours.”

“Hm, I see.” Kuga looked pensive. “You are not in his faction?”

Chika looked down. “I don’t blame them; I understand why they feel that way. But doing that won’t bring back people who are no longer here.”

“Your brother and friend.” Kuga nodded understandingly.

Osamu held his breath. He couldn’t help it. That Chika had opened herself up to someone, a _Neighbour_ ; it was as if there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel – even if he didn’t yet know what that light signified. But it was there; things have changed.

Kuga and Chika walked on either side of Osamu as they left the park. It made Osamu feel a bit like a babysitter as they brought their heads together in front of him to smile at each other, and occasionally at him.

Kuga tilted his head back so that he was looking at both of them. “Teach me about Japan and its rules,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “So I won’t stand out so much.”

“Of course!” Osamu said hastily. This was it, what he had been looking for. Kuga was what Chika needed. And this way they could keep Kuga close to them, make sure he was getting on alright in Japan.

“We can ask around discreetly about your dad’s friend,” Chika added.

“That would be a lot of help, thank you.” Kuga bowed politely.

Osamu opened his mouth to ask who the friend was, only to forget all about it as Kuga was hit by a car and revealed the fact that he was still in a trion body – a trion body that could heal. They never did remember to ask in the end.


	2. Complication

Kuga Yuuma, Osamu was starting to find, did not seem to understand the meaning of discretion. He had his own warped sense of justice, and Osamu was grateful for his actions; but standing out was not a good idea.

“I don’t think you understand, Kuga,” Osamu said exasperatedly once the other students in the classroom had drifted off again. “It was a piece of luck that those bullies got their memories erased after yesterday’s events. You need to stay _off_ everyone’s radar, and that means no more confrontations.”

“You’re thinking about the irregular gates.” Kuga raised a hand to his chin theatrically.

Osamu nodded in assent. Border had sent all official members the information last night. Irregular gates were opening up all over the city, the damage no longer contained within the Hazard Zone. So far, all had been lucky enough to open near an off-duty Border agent, but that might change at any moment. The timing was suspicious, and far too dangerous for Kuga.

Many things were too dangerous for Kuga, Osamu thought mournfully later as the two of them tried to distract the Molemods into Chika’s line of sight without Kuga using his trigger – they couldn’t risk any more unknown trion signatures from him. One Molemod was down already, its entire head blown to smithereens, but the second was proving more difficult thanks to the debris it was using as cover. Chika was almost in position however, any moment now…

As always, Osamu couldn’t help but marvel at Chika’s trion, Lightning so fast it was almost invisible as Chika shot three rapid bolts into the Molemod’s leg, side, and head.

Just in time too, the three of them making their way of out of the partly destroyed wing of the school to find Arashiyama Unit just arriving. Considering the fact that Osamu had already reported in that Amatori Unit was on the scene, it was a bad sign.

Arashiyama himself didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives, even thanking them profusely for saving his siblings; but Kitora, however, she was obviously unhappy with something. They hadn’t even done anything that would put them under such scrutiny, had they?

“That’s enough of that, Kitora,” Tokieda said calmly, finally making his way over. “Grilling them won’t change anything. Handling two Molemods with just a team of two is very good work.” He smiled at them.

Osamu ducked his head a little while Chika bowed fully. “Thank you.”

That might have been the end of that. But Kuga couldn’t leave it alone. “Why are you giving yourself airs when you guys weren’t even here? It’s Osamu and Chika who did all the work and saved everyone.”

Kitora speared him with a sharp look. “No one begrudges Amatori Unit for the work they did. That’s not the problem.”

“Yes it is.” Yuuma stared just as piercingly in return. Not for the first time, Osamu wondered whether Kuga might have a Side Effect of his own. “That is precisely the problem for you. You don’t like seeing them praised.”

“And what would you know!” Kitora blustered, a light flush on her cheeks. Personally, Osamu thought she was more upset over Kuga not being impressed with her than the fact that Amatori Unit took care of the whole thing. “What right do you have butting in anyway?”

“I was one of the victims that Chika and Osamu saved. If they hadn’t done anything, I might have been dead before you arrived,” Kuga said, ignoring Chika’s quiet attempts to stop him.

“That’s why we are very thankful for what Amatori Unit did,” Arashiyama said briskly. “I am in your debt.”

Kitora turned away with a sniff as their impromptu audience also started giving their own thanks. Osamu ducked his head and tried to ignore the anxiety eating at him. Kitora wouldn’t say something like that. They had never interacted much, but she never doubted their abilities before. Something was wrong.

* * *

“Arashiyama Unit is calling in,” Tsukimi announced, catching their attention.

“How was it,” Miwa asked, not waiting for their greeting.

“I’m not sure,” Arashiyama said thoughtfully over the line. “There certainly weren’t any other trigger reactions on the Molemods besides Amatori’s Lightning.”

“They didn’t look guilty,” Kitora added. “Not like they were harbouring Neighbours. Amatori lost people to them too. I honestly can’t see her betraying us for a Neighbour.”

“No one’s going to look guilty when you hound them like that, Kitora.” Satori’s tone crackled with exasperation. “Why were _you_ getting worked up?”

“I don’t like all this suspicion; it’s not like they’ve done anything wrong,” Kitora grumbled.

“So you don’t think they’re working with a Neighbour,” Yoneya concluded.

“I don’t know,” Arashiyama replied frankly. “It’s hard to prove a negative.”

“There was an unknown trion signature on the Bamster Amatori Unit was responsible for yesterday. From the signs, the unknown trion user attacked the Bamster _after_ Amatori’s shot.” Miwa’s tone brooked no arguments. “She might be swayed if given the right incentive.”

“Her brother is still on record as having been kidnapped,” Narasaka pointed out. “That is tempting bait.”

“We questioned Amatori Unit as you requested,” Tokieda said simply. “This was the result.”

Miwa suppressed the urge to tsk. They were at a dead end.

“The higher-ups are having a meeting later today about the irregular gates, aren’t they?” Ayatsuji’s voice came over the line. “Send Amatori Unit to make their report in person. None of us have gotten anywhere, maybe it’s time to send the matter up the chain.”

* * *

As a perfect cap to the terrible day, Kitora was waiting at the front gate for them when school ended. Apparently she was here to accompany them to HQ. Amatori Unit had only gotten the summons themselves earlier today; it didn’t look good.

Kuga was still needling Kitora on the way, but at least his cover as victim didn’t make him stand out too much. Kitora had started out almost cordial, but Kuga’s words soon riled her up again. Osamu tried to stay quiet, Chika a comforting, but just as silent, presence beside him. She didn’t dare say anything either, not when none of them knew what Kitora was really after. Osamu could feel the cold sweat dripping down his neck. Was it the Bamster? Did someone find Kuga’s signature?

He was almost grateful for the appearance of the new trion soldier. At least there was a new target they could all concentrate on. With the river between them and no obstructions, there was no need for Osamu to look for snipe routes; he elected to go help the civilians instead, they needed him more. Kitora gave him an unreadable look at his suggestion, but did not protest; simply asking for Chika’s support as she went to deal with the new trion soldier personally.

Osamu kept half his attention on the conversation between Chika and Kuga while he dug through the wreckage for survivors – sometimes with Replica’s offshoot’s help boosting his trion body. Kuga’s trigger was a bit _too_ useful.

Not a single noise from their conversation filtered over Amatori Unit’s comms, which Osamu had patched Kitora into, and yet, thanks to Replica, he could clearly hear Kuga’s admiration at the way Kitora easily dealt with the trion soldier – the _Ilgar_ – and also why that was a bad idea.

“Amatori! I need you to hit it now! I know you have the accuracy,” Kitora shouted over the comm. It seemed like Kitora had figured it out too; the Ilgar was on a suicide run.

“Kitora-sempai, jump!” Chika was shooting almost before Kitora had cleared the blast radius, a multitude of shots that triggered the explosion in the Ilgar while it was still in the air. Its remains rained down on bank just before reaching the buildings.

Osamu sighed. Then tried to calm the civilians who were letting their anger override their fear now that the danger was over. It didn’t go very well. Watching Kitora handle them so professionally afterwards, it was hard to believe she was actually the same age.

It was easier when they were just talking. As they once again made their way towards HQ, the look Kitora turned on Chika was contemplative. “Those were some fast reflexes there, Amatori. Good job.”

“Thank you.” Chika smiled politely. “I still have a lot to work on.”

“But you have a good grounding, and you must have practiced a lot for that kind of accuracy. You should be proud of your actions,” Kitora said. As if feeling Kuga’s gaze on her, she turned to him. “It was Amatori’s hit that did the job today. I have no interest in claiming someone else’s achievement for my own.”

Kuga hummed thoughtfully. Osamu could tell it struck a chord. There were no more clashes from Kuga after that, the four of them reaching their goal in a much more pleasant atmosphere than the one they started out in. If only Kitora would stop looking at them like a puzzle she needed to work out.

Kuga parted ways with them at the entrance to HQ, but Osamu could feel Replica’s offshoot burning a hole in the pocket of his jacket. He wondered how everything could have gotten so wrong that he felt more reassured having a part of Kuga with them inside Border’s walls.


	3. Condemnation

The tension in the meeting room was heavy; combined with the lack of lighting – it was even odds among the Border agents whether it was for energy saving reasons or because the higher-ups thought it was more impressive to conduct meetings in the dark – it made it hard for Osamu and Chika to keep their cool amidst the questions being flung at them. Maybe that was the real reason for leaving the lights off in the room. Somehow it felt more nerve-wracking facing the entire top management of Border than the variety of trion soldiers Osamu had had to run from, weaponless, in the last two days. At least the trion soldiers weren’t suspecting them of treason.

No one had come out and said that, not yet; but Miwa Shuuji was standing right beside Chief Kido and giving them the stink-eye the whole time Chika made her report as Unit Leader. It was obvious that they’d messed up with the Bamster from the first day. Osamu did his best to swallow quietly and not look too suspicious, Replica’s offshoot still burning that metaphorical hole in his pocket.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else?” Shinoda asked. He was looking at them gently, but it just made Chika duck her head further. “Nothing strange you may have left out because you didn’t know how to explain it?”

Shinoda was trying to be kind, giving them a way out. But what he didn’t know was that it was already too late.

“They obviously don’t know anything,” Kinuta cut in brusquely. “Let them go, we have more important things to worry about.”

Netsuki nodded sharply from beside him. “There doesn’t seem to be any more point in questioning them. We have gotten all we can.”

In his head, Osamu cheered them on. Both Kinuta and Netsuki hadn’t been taking them seriously from the start, too busy with other worries – likely the matter of the irregular gates; it was very reassuring. In contrast, Karasawa and Rindou’s thoughtful stares as they sucked on their cigarettes were a lot more disquieting. They had yet to actually say anything, but Osamu had a feeling that it would change everything if they did.

But the true deciding moment would be when Kido spoke. Osamu tried to look at the Chief in command of Border inconspicuously under his eyelashes, feeling sweat bead on his forehead. Kido was in the same pose he had been in since the meeting started. He had asked a few questions in the beginning, questions that Osamu knew were dangerous even though he wasn’t quite sure why, but nothing more as Chika stumbled through her answers. Nothing except looking at them the way a large predator looked at prey it didn’t particularly care about. Osamu tried not to feel like nothing they said actually mattered, that Kido had already made up his mind about them and they were already doomed. He wasn’t sure he succeeded.

In the end, it didn’t really matter whether they were convincing or not. They couldn’t turn back now. Kuga wasn’t like other Neighbours. Kuga wasn’t even like other humans. Between Kuga and Miwa, Osamu would pick Kuga who he knew didn’t want anyone dead over Miwa who would probably love a chance to go all out against a Humanoid Neighbour – and he wouldn’t be the only one in Border who would. Osamu had only known this Neighbour for two days, but he could tell Kuga was good; Kuga cared. He helped them when he didn’t have to. They owed him.

* * *

Yuuma crouched in the wrecked corridor of the school, diligently shuffling aside bits of rubble as he listened to the grilling Border was subjecting Osamu and Chika to.

“It’s not working,” he said quietly. “Border already suspects them. I messed up somewhere.”

“There is a possibility that taking out the Bamster had left something that raised Border’s doubts,” Replica admitted.

“I don’t regret helping them. It was worth it.” Yuuma looked at Replica. “Do you think I shouldn’t have done it?”

“It’s not my decision to make, Yuuma, it’s yours,” Replica replied, comforting in its familiarity.

“Hmmm.” Yuuma poked at another clump of wreckage. He could hear someone’s dismissive voice through Replica’s broadcast as they tried to move on to other matters. It was a pity they didn’t seem to have much clout, not from what Kuga had heard; a boss like that would surely make Osamu and Chika’s life easier, even if it would make life harder for the members of Border in general.

“Competent leaders are annoying.” Yuuma scowled down at the ground, not even pretending to search anymore. He wondered if his dad’s acquaintance was there too. Judging Osamu and Chika. Thinking he was a threat.

“But better for everyone’s safety,” Replica pointed out unerringly. “Competent leaders are also more open to negotiation. It will go better for all of us if Border can be persuaded to see us as allies.”

Yuuma grunted. He didn’t want to be reasonable about Border. Nor did he think Border would be reasonable about him. And, as inconvenient as it would be being on Earth without Border’s permission, Yuuma couldn’t help but think that he would prefer not getting along with Border. They weren’t at all like what his father had said.

Suddenly the tone of the meeting changed. Yuuma turned to Replica, narrowing his eyes. Someone new had arrived, and they had changed the game. Yuuma tried to pierce through the light-hearted babble. This could be dangerous. More dangerous than it already was.

* * *

Jin Yuichi of Tamakoma Branch, S-rank, was the holder of both a side effect and a black trigger. Osamu didn’t know what side effect he had or what a black trigger was specifically, besides the fact that there were only two of them and they were segregated into their own rank, away from everyone else, but it would mean either their salvation or their doom. It would help if Jin actually remembered him.

Either way, Jin had clout; even with people like Kido. The entire atmosphere of the room changed the moment he entered. One breezy smile all that was needed to make the room feel less like an interrogation and more like the meeting it was supposed to be.

“About time you got here, Jin,” Kinuta blustered. “Let’s get on to the real point of this meeting!”

“The irregular gates,” Rindou added, “can you do anything about them?”

“Wait a minute,” Shinoda protested, starting up another round of arguments where everyone tiptoed around the existence of Kuga and Amatori Unit’s label of traitors. Osamu wished they would just come out and say it. At least then he would know how much they knew or suspected. To be fair, they were probably hoping for Osamu or Chika to do the same thing.

Jin nodded understandingly. “I think I understand what’s going on. Of course I will do something about the gates. For that, Kido-san, won’t you hand over Amatori Unit to me for now?”

Kido narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t the only one.

“No need to look so forbidding, I think Amatori Unit will end up being very helpful.” Jin smiled. “My side effect tells me so.”

Osamu held his breath. He could see Chika do the same.

Kido inclined his head. “Very well.”

The meeting adjourned suddenly after that. Jin chasing everyone out the door so skilfully, Osamu almost didn’t realise that he was doing it. Sharing a glance with Chika, Osamu stood up, preparing to leave as well.

For the first time, Miwa moved from beside Kido. An abortive twitch that made both Osamu and Chika turn back and tense up. But before anything happened, Jin popped his head back through the door, calling out peaceably to Osamu and Chika and waving a hand airily at them. Osamu took the cue, hurrying out the door with Chika on heels, feeling like he just dodged a bullet. One of Miwa’s lead bullets even. He could feel the combined stares of Miwa and Kido drilling into his back. This wasn’t over.

Still, Osamu could feel the mood lightening the further they got from the meeting room. So much so that he was completely off his guard when Jin turned to him, still smiling, to say, “You look like you’re doing well, Four-eyes-kun.”

Osamu stumbled over a greeting, limp with relief that Jin did remember him after all. “Ye-yeah, it’s been a while, Jin-san.”

“And you are Amatori Chika? It is nice to finally meet you in person.” Jin inclined his head at her. “I’m Jin Yuuichi, an elite with talent.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chika responded shyly. “What will happen now?”

“I’ll come pick the two of you up tomorrow morning, before school,” Jin waved a hand airily. “And then we’ll go and take care of matters.”

“Can you really do something about the irregular gates?” Osamu said, unable to ask his real question and find out if Jin also thought of them as traitors.

“I said I’ll be on the case, didn’t I?” Jin bore Osamu and Chika’s twin sceptical looks and didn’t even look fazed. “There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about.”


	4. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aoba is the name of Chika's childhood friend who was kidnapped by Neighbours. Her full name: Harukawa Aoba was revealed in the anime.

The next morning dawned bright and clear – and cold too, in the mid-December weather. Osamu sunk deeper into the scarf wound around his neck and looked around. Chika was waiting for him at the intersection just as they had agreed last night, after Replica had told them everything.

For a while, they walked side by side in silence; Osamu knew he should take this chance, the first time in days where it was just the two of them alone without Yuuma or Replica – who had tactfully withdrawn just to let them have this private talk, but he was unsure how to broach the subject. His head still whirled from all the things Replica had revealed last night.

_“The moment Jin-san mentioned his side effect, everyone accepted easily. It must be an amazing side effect.”_

_“It must be A rank at least, maybe even S rank.”_

_“Oh? Border has a ranking system for side effects?”_

_“Yes, I believe Chika’s side effect is considered S rank as well?”_

_“Yeah, um, it is.”_

_“Hmmm, I wonder what my side effect would rank as?”_

_“Yuuma-kun’s side effect…it’s what allowed you to realise those people were lying, right?”_

_“Yes. Yuuma’s side effect allows him to detect the lies in what people say.”_

_“I received it from my father, when he died and passed his black trigger on to me.”_

_“Then-!”_

_“…I’m sorry.”_

_“You don’t need to apologise, Chika.”_

_“We decided that the two of you deserve to know this. What happened to Yuugo and Yuuma. Why Yuuma is here. Everything.”_

_“Thank you for trusting us.”_

_“Yes! Thank you!”_

Beside him, Chika sighed quietly, bringing Osamu back to the present. “Yuuma-kun had a really hard life; I want to do what I can for him, Osamu-kun!”

Osamu thought of Yuuma all by himself in the body his father died to make, with no one on his side except one small trion soldier, just the two of them against the world. “Me too, Chika.”

“Even before we learned about his past, I wanted to help him,” Chika admitted.

“I noticed.” Osamu smiled softly. “You don’t usually open yourself to others so quickly. What kind of conversation did the two of you even have while I was away?”

Chika shook her head a little. “Nothing life-changing. But then, you were willing to trust him from the beginning, after you just met him.”

“Not exactly after.” Osamu argued, pushing up the bridge of his glasses. “But he didn’t need to save us against that Bamster. He could have left like he said. But he didn’t.”

“He didn’t,” Chika agreed. “It was eye-opening, I suppose. Neighbours are people too.”

“Chika…”

“I don’t want to turn into Miwa-sempai, and I know my brother and Aoba-chan wouldn’t want me to either.”

“You're right, they wouldn’t.” Osamu didn’t think he had ever seen Chika look so sure of herself. “I don’t want you to turn into Miwa-sempai either.”

Chika took a breath. “Maybe we’re being too hasty. But HQ is rushing just as much. They aren’t even pretending to care about Yuuma-kun’s circumstances. Even though working together would be so much more effective than making him our enemy.”

“That’s how dangerous he is to them, I suppose,” Osamu said slowly.

“But it’s okay,” Chika said with forced cheer, “Jin-san is on our side now.”

“I hope so,” Osamu said glumly.

As if their conversation had summoned him, from behind them came a familiar voice, “Hey guys! Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Jin-san!” Looking at the cat-who-ate-the-canary grin on Jin’s face, Osamu couldn’t help but wonder if Jin was the one HQ was actually worried about.

* * *

Miwa stared at Jin’s retreating back, feeling his own hopelessness coil around his chest and threatening to choke him. If only Jin wouldn’t stand in his way…!

“Come on, Shuuji,” Yoneya said in that soothing tone of his, when he was trying to pacify Miwa, “we got our orders, we need to go.”

Miwa looked down at the piece of paper in his hands. It looked official; knowing Jin, it probably was official. He wouldn’t bother faking something like this when he could get the real thing just as easily. And the worst thing was, it wouldn’t even be a lie. There probably was a real reason why they’re needed back at the base, that Jin probably saw with his side effect, and it was just their luck that this also meant they could no longer keep following them. They were playing right into Jin’s hands. He was always playing right into Jin’s hands.

“Shuuji?” Yoneya peered at him, the same look of concern on his face that he had been wearing for the past four years.

“I refuse to accept this,” Miwa hissed, trying to ignore how much he sounded like a child throwing a tantrum because things weren’t going his way. “Ren-san, please patch me in to the Chief.”

There was a pause, and for a moment Miwa was scared that she was going to say no. “Alright. Give me a moment and I’ll let you through.”

“Thank you, Ren-san.”

She was as good as her word. In next to no time, “Kido here.”

“This is Miwa. During our surveillance of Amatori Unit we received orders from Jin to withdraw back to base.” Seeing his hand tightening on the paper, Miwa belatedly tried to relax. “He is meeting up with them right now.”

“…I see.” Kido’s voice was as composed as always. “You have grounds to believe that they will be going to meet up with the Neighbour?”

“I do,” Miwa said assertively. “If they were meaning to do so, this is the time for it.”

“Very well. I hereby delay your withdrawal orders. Resume your mission shadowing Amatori Unit.”

“And if we encounter the Neighbour?” Miwa could feel a humourless grin stretch his face, and Yoneya, beside him, sighing while spouting a similar smile.

“Take care of it,” Kido said crisply.

“Understood,” Miwa said back.

* * *

The meeting didn’t go as badly as Osamu had feared, when Jin had first led them to the scene where they first found out that Yuuma was a Neighbour. He had thought his heart was going to stop when he saw Yuuma crouching in that crater. It didn’t help that Yuuma looked like he was ready to jump Jin at the hint of a threat. Osamu wasn’t sure what would happen if the two of them were to start fighting, but he knew he didn’t want to find out.

Finding out that it was Jin’s side effect that led him here, that from the moment Jin saw them it had all been exposed, that was a bigger relief than Osamu could ever have imagined. Neither he nor Chika were cut out for deceiving.

Of course, it couldn’t last.

“So you _are_ conniving with Neighbours,” Miwa said through gritted teeth, appearing just as it seemed like they were going to solve the irregular gates problem and looking ready to kill. Yoneya was standing a step behind him, a much less homicidal expression on his face – but that just made him feel all the more dangerous.

It was Jin who spoke first, as expected. “Actually, I’m inviting Yuuma-kun here to join Border. More specifically, Tamakoma branch.” Smiling at the look of surprise on everyone’s face, he continued, “Amatori Unit might be transferred over to us, you know, if the two of you are okay with it, and I thought it would be a good chance. The three of you will work well together. My side effect tells me so.”

“Inviting a Neighbour to join Border!?” Miwa shouted, unable to keep silent any longer.

“Hey, hey.” Even Yoneya looked perturbed. “Is this really okay? This looks like it’s going to end up way bigger than petty faction in-fighting.”

“There’s no rule that says he can’t join.” Jin shrugged airily, laying a gentle hand on Yuuma’s head. “And don’t you guys have withdrawal orders…?”

“The Chief’s delaying them,” Yoneya said, while Miwa stood beside him trying to kill Jin with his eyes. “He thought this is more important.”

Jin made a face. “Trust me guys, I know what’s more important, okay? We can talk about Yuuma-kun later, for now I really do need you to go back to the base. In fact, I’ll return with you.” So saying, Jin jogged up and slung an arm over Miwa and Yoneya’s shoulders. Miwa looked like he was going to struggle, turning to glare at Yuuma, but in the end allowed Jin to lead him away. With no more resistance, Jin turned back to say, “Think about it, guys! I’ll meet up with you later.”

Osamu waited until the three of them had vanished from sight before turning to the others. “What do you think?”

“I’m not sure transferring to Tamakoma will change things for us much, but this might mean that HQ can’t go after you anymore, Yuuma-kun!” Chika said forcefully.

Yuuma hummed. “I can take on whatever Border throws at me,” he said carelessly.

Unexpectedly, it was Replica, sounding like he was trying to convince Yuuma to join them, who spoke up, “This is a good chance to repay Osamu and Chika for their help, Yuuma.”

“Ah, that’s a good point,” Yuuma said easily.

“Oh no, we don’t need repayment-” Chika tried to demur, only to be cut off.

“Actually, if you can help us, we would really appreciate it,” Osamu said. It felt like that first day again, when everything was falling into place. “You know about Chika’s brother and best friend. The truth is, our goal is to rise through the ranks to the top of A-rank, to become one of the units allowed to go on expeditions to Neighbour worlds. That’s the best way we have to find them. But neither of us are very strong, and with just the two of us we always do badly in the rank battles, so…” Osamu trailed off, feeling embarrassingly brazen.

Yuuma looked at him gravely, then turned to Chika. “It’s not easy. You don’t know who took them or where they are now.”

“I know,” said Chika, “but I want to try anyway. Even if the possibility is very small, I don’t want to give up.”

Yuuma stared at her for a moment longer, then smiled. “Then let’s do it together.”

“R-really? You’ll join us?” There was a small flush of happiness on Chika’s face, and Osamu knew he did the right thing.

“If Border will have me.” Yuuma gave them a cynical look. But remembering how Jin had acted around the upper management, and how they had acted around him, somehow Osamu didn’t think it was going to be a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of regret ending it here when at this point the story still hews so close to canon (blame Ashihara and how tightly he plotted this story). But I ran out of steam and decided it's probably better to let it go now. Someday, I may write that sequel about Yuuma revealing that he's a black trigger during the large-scale invasion arc and the battle almost becoming a three-way between Aftokrator, Tamakoma, and Border.


End file.
